Lifting the Shadows
by Nitross
Summary: When an unknown enemy appeared at the edge of the pyre system, the inhabitants of the inner planets ignored it as the menace was not at their doors. Now, years later, a group of heroes begins to unveil what was happening behind the scenes...
1. Foreword and Prologue

Lifting the Shadows

* * *

**Foreword**

Dear reader,

The adventures chronicled here take place in a world unlike any other.

It is a place where fantasy and science-fiction meet and mix into a complete whole.

A place where ships soar among the stars as they do among the waves.

If you are not familiar with this world fear not, for I have done my best to explain its wonders along the story.

If you are to kind to prefer being prepared, well I have included information on the sources I've used in the notes below. However, be aware that these sources can unveil some details and reduce the mystery that drives the story.

I'd also like to thank my friends who participated and still participate in this adventure.

They are my inspiration and hopefully their adventures will amuse you.

* * *

**Prologue**

A very old and wise elf was stargazing.

The skies had long ago been conquered by the elven armadas, but he could not help but stare in wonder at the stars every once in a while. It usually got him thinking of all the possible worlds revolving around those blinking lights, like Perianth around the Pyre. However, the sight that he was observing tonight got him thinking darker thoughts.

Lafual, the moon of Sehanine, now known as the Spider Moon because of the dark elves that resided there for centuries was hanging low in the sky tonight. Instead of soothing the worries and bringing peaceful dreams as it did in times of old, the moon was now a dark reminder of the drow rebellion that lead to their exile.

The elf looked on as the clouds veiled it in shadows and the light it gave off became tinted with red.

"An omen." He thought.

As he squinted he saw that the moon was in alignment with the world of Eryon, the world known to its dwarven inhabitants as Moradin's Forge. As he pondered the signification of this sign, he thought he saw the shadows of the moon move around like it was surrounded with a dozen floating spiders.

The vision hunted the elf to his final days as he tried to make sense of it for nearly half a century without success. And because no one else had witnessed the event, he was believed insane in his old age.

As he was lying in his death bed, Sehanine Moonbow came to visit him in his dreams. She gave him not a vision of the afterlife however. What she did was give him insight into his vision, in hopes of easing his mind from his self imposed burden. As he opened his eyes one last time and the ones beside him saw the milky-white moonbow in them, they were surprised to find fear instead of relief etched on his face as he gasped with his last breath.

"Their shadows are among us!"

* * *

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Getting technical…

**Setting:** Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon (Revised)

This setting was presented as a 3.0 edition remake of the original spelljammer in the #151 issue of the Polyhedron magazine. I personally revised the mini game material presented there to use it as a setting in a 3.5e game. I mostly use the background information from the magazine and the rules from any 3.5e book if I can find something close. For example, the Eberon Explorer's Handbook helped with airship mechanics and pricing.

Check out Andy Collins web page at **andycollins dot net **for more info on the setting. You will find the Spelljammer section under Projects.

The Quelyan High Guard is my idea. It's basically a military type guild that charged itself with protecting Quelya.

For the fans of the old setting: I'm not getting into that.

The Book of Aberrations is a must for any Spelljammer game in my opinion, as supported by its web-enhancement. You can get it on the Wizards of the Coast site  
( wizards dot com article /?x=dnd/we/20050520a).

For more information on the setting I'm using, contact me. I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.


	2. Chapter 1: Beginnings

Lifting the Shadows

* * *

**Chapter One: Beginnings.**

_Fire._

_Flames all around casting their flickering light, illuminating the little devils dancing through the destruction with an eerie glow. _

_Lightning flashes, outlining the silhouette of a cloaked man looming over the devils with a mighty hammer. _

_The wind howls, the thunder clashes and, with the same fury as the storm that is building up, the man brings down his maul on the unsuspecting imps. _

_On his cloak a symbol can be seen: a shield with a set of scales painted on it. _

* * *

Captain Kevin Sica awoke with a start, his body in a cold sweat.

The dreams had come again.

"_Always when I'm getting a new assignment…_" he thought.

Looking at the sun peeking through the window of his small room he sighed.

"Well I'm not getting anymore sleep, so I might as well get an early start on the day and check on the new ship." he said to himself.

Kevin proceeded on his usual morning routine pausing only in thought while looking at the symbol on his uniform: the shield of justice of the Quelyan High Guards.

* * *

As dawn rose on the transport ship Ageis, one passenger is already up and about. Leaning against the railing of the ship, he stares lazily at a letter in his hand as if the answers he seeks would just jump out of it.

"_What the hell are you thinking cousin…"_

However his musings were cut short as a shipman calls to him.

"Sergeant Folley!"

He stares up to him, a decidedly bored look on his face.

"Sergeant Folley, we will be arriving at Lagos in a few minutes!"

At this, a slight smirk appears on the sergeant's face. "Well…" he says "maybe now I'll get some answers."

* * *

For many generations the people of Quelya were greatly dependant on the elven nations of Perianth for their advancement in Spelljamming: the art of fueling ships with magic to make them soar in the stars. But in the last few years, with the discovery of new friendly societies on the islands on Quelya and their collaboration, this dependency is close to an end. The construction of The Island as a launching pad was the first step and the development of the White Shark is the next…

Kevin thought back to those words, spoken years ago when he had just joined the High Guard. Back then he had no idea that he would be selected to lead one of the ground units affected to the ship…

That is, if the metallic monster standing in front of him could still be called a ship.

A gleam of sunlight reflected from the white steel hull caught his eye.

"_Mithril…_"

The merchant collective of Lagos were truly great negotiators to have gotten such an ample supply of the rare mineral. With it, the ship was incased in a shell as hard as steel but half as heavy.

"Ah! Captain!"

One of the workers nervously approached Kevin. He looked him up and down, his eyes lingering on the maul he was carrying.

"Your up early sir, we're just finishing the preparations for the inauguration…"

"Calm down, you're acting like I'm the commander of this ship; I'm only a squad captain, remember?"

Kevin gave the man in front of him a smile.

"I just thought I'd come and take a look at the place I'll be living in for the next few months."

The worker gave a smile of his own.

"It would be my pleasure to give you a small tour, sir. Follow me to the ladder; we'll get in from the top deck."

Kevin gazed ahead to where the man was pointing but what caught his eye was not the ladder. At the end of the dock, two guards were looking at the shallow waters of the cave used by the High Guards as a dry dock. Their rifles drawn, their muscles tensed with anticipation…

Something was wrong…

And even if he was not in full battle gear, Captain Kevin Sica would be damned if he didn't do something about it.

* * *

"I can't believe you accepted."

Two young women were standing in a small room, one of them packing some bags while the other was looking at her from her position by the door.

"What's so hard to believe, they asked for help, I accepted to help." said the one packing her bags. Then, as an afterthought she added: "Besides, the pay's good."

"Please, you live an easy enough life healing soldiers here; you don't have to go in space to do that Ferena."

"That's the difference between you and me Anya: I don't think helping others is limited to healing them when they come back home wounded."

The woman named Anya stood in silence, contemplating what to say next.

However, she never got to say what was on her mind as a young man came rushing in the building screaming.

"The shipyard is under attack!"

* * *

On the Ageis, Sergeant Paul Folley was looking off to port side, squinting. To the casual observer, he would seem to be observing the colossal gleaming object hidden in a sea cave on the side of the island the ship was approaching. But if you looked closely, you would realize that he was looking at something else.

His keen hearing had picked up the sound of gunfire and in an instant he had gone from his pensive state to full alertness.

His trained eye scanned the area where the sounds came from, appraising the distance to the possible targets like the trained marksman the he was.

"_Not close enough, yet..._"

Squinting some more, he found the reason for the gun shots coming out of the water.

"Damn…" he muttered. "it's…"

* * *

"Sahuagins! Sound the alarm!" Kevin yelled while drawing his maul and charging toward the impish sea men climbing the stern of the ship.

One of the guards at the end of the dock only had the time to fire one shot at a submerged target before a volley of crossbow bolts came flying out of the water. This attack was shortly followed by half a dozen little sea devils coming out of the shallow waters and climbing the hull of the ship to reach the lower front deck.

"_Not if I have anything to say about it…_" thought the Captain.

With this in mind, he made a sharp turn and jumped from the port side dock to the lower deck of the ship where he found himself facing the group of sahuagins.

What surprised him however, was that most of them rushed inside protecting another that carried a package leaving him facing but a couple of the beasts.

Normally, this would have been quite simple, but because of his current lack of armor Kevin knew he would get away with more than a few scratches this time.

As if to prove his thoughts, the sahuagin closer to him closed on him and attacked before he had regained his footing from the jump, its claws digging through the flesh of his left arm. This, of course, did not deter the captain in his efforts as he brought down his maul on the skull of the beast, crushing it instantly. Kevin turned to look at his other opponent, expecting an attack, but before any of them could react, a rifleman shot it down from behind.

Kevin gave him a look of gratitude and quickly evaluated the situation. The soldier who helped him came with another from the starboard dock. The two guards posted at each end of the port and starboard docks were either down or wounded. Kevin quickly motioned to the two able men to cross over the plank that led from the dock to the deck.

"Four of them, went inside through the airlock. You two are coming with me for the clean up."

Captain Sica's tone broke no arguments and the soldiers nodded their consent. Kevin motioned them through the airlock.

"Get in, I'll open the second door. Shot to kill."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in union, keeping their voices low.

As soon as the door was open, one of the sahuagin went through it intent on sinking its claws on whoever followed them in. He was surprised, however, when he was shot down by the two riflemen. Still, his actions allowed his comrade to come trough the door and get a good hit on the captain. But, a swift hit from Kevin's maul and a shot from a rifle made short work of the monstrous creature.

Nursing his wounds, Kevin gestured ahead.

"Take point."

The men complied, arms at the ready. One of them turned around.

"They are climbing up to the helm room!"

Kevin didn't know what the ignorant creatures would think to do in there, but knew no good could come out of it. He made his way to the ladder quickly.

"Make sure no more of them come in!" he ordered.

One of the soldiers decided to voice his concern.

"Are you sure you'll be fine sir?"

"Rifles are useless in such a close space." Kevin answered.

And with that he climbed up the ladder in hopes to stop whatever plan the sahuagin had.

* * *

"What's going on?" Ferena asked a guard while Anya and another healer began treating the wounded.

"Enemy incursion. Sauhagin have infiltrated the White Shark." A young sergeant answered nervously.

"And you're not sending more men in that ship to help take them out?"

The sergeant, taken aback by the young women's forcefulness, stammered for a few moments before another man came from behind him and addressed her.

"Captain Sica is already inside with two men. Any more would be of no use considering the small quarters of the ship."

Ferena sent an incredulous look at the man.

"Trust the man; I heard good things about him."

At this moment, as if to punctuate that statement, a small crate came crashing trough the window of the ships helm room and exploded in a shower of flames above their heads.

* * *

A few minutes earlier, Kevin was reaching the top of the ladder that led to the helm room.

"_Well…_" he thought bitterly "_better get ready to get blind sided as soon as I get up there…_"

Sure enough, as soon as he hefted himself in the room he was met with claws to his stomach.

As he swung his maul around, trying to nail his aggressor, he dimly noticed that the last of the beasts was working over the package he brought in. Trough the haze that was slowly clouding over his senses, his hearing picked up something: A distinct hissing coming from the sahuagin's package.

"_A fuse!_"

His eyes snapped into focus and he saw that the package was a box full of explosives, lit explosives. He knew he had to get trough both beasts to get to it, but on his own he doubted he had the time.

His hopes went up however, when one of the guards came leaping out of the ladder, tackling one sahuagin and leaving him with a clear hit on the other. Kevin took this chance to down the creature and rushed to the explosives.

"Damn!" he swore when he saw there were too many fuses and not enough time.

He took one look at the window looking out the ship and without any further thought; Kevin sent the explosives flying through it.

He dropped to the floor, feeling the heat of the explosion as the bomb detonated right outside of the ship.

His last conscious act was to make sure the guard had dealt with the remaining sahuagin. And with that confirmed, his last though was...

"_Guess I was wrong, maybe I will get some more sleep today…_"


	3. Chapter 2: Ants in the pants

Lifting the Shadows

* * *

**Chapter 2: Ants in the pants.**

Floating in orbit around the watery world of Quelya was a large asteroid. It had been towed there years ago to facilitate the mooring of spelljamming ships incapable of water landings. Over time it had become the crossroads of Quelya and was known simply as The Island. Many travelers passed through the Island and one such traveler was currently waiting on one of the long spire docks. And while he knew the highlights of the Island's great history, one thought was on his mind:

"_Where the hell is my ride_?"

Noram was getting annoyed. Trust a military organization to demand punctuality out of someone only to arrive late themselves.

The young half-elf was stomping his foot impatiently. It was supposed to be simple: put his baggage in the ship when it arrives, meet his new superiors while the ship completed preparations and then get on with this show. There's so much more to do in life than to waste time waiting.

It's about at this time that he realized someone was tapping his shoulder, trying to get his attention.

"Er.." the young man in question said under the glare he received "mister Noram Rackam of Fleuris?"

Noram snorted a little at that last part, but replied nonetheless with his best smile.

"Yes, that would be me."

"Sir, I regret to inform you that the White Shark has been delayed. It will be here in a couple of hours at best, probably more."

Noram sighed and waved the messenger away before slowly massaging his temples.

"Okay, it seems I've got some time to spare…" he said to himself.

"_But what can I do with it…_" he thought. He opened his eyes and his gaze settled on the asteroid that was the core of the Island.

He smiled to himself.

"_Maybe I could do a little 'sightseeing'._"

* * *

Nathan Bayson had built himself quite a reputation on Quelya and in a relatively short time at that. He was known by many names; from the respectful 'Eye of the Storm' to the less than polite 'arrogant bastard' and 'cocky son of a…'. This was due to the fact that no matter what he may face, no matter the situation, he had the confidence to face it head on with a smile. This trait is what got him the position of Commander of the White Shark.

Of course, a reputation is often an exaggerated thing.

"How the hell did sahuagins get explosives?!"

So Nathan was always glad he had subordinates that would say out loud what he kept in his thoughts.

He gave a smirk at Captain Sica as he was being tended to by Ferena.

"That is a very good question Captain." Nathan told him. "That is why you and your team will go after the sahuagins that escaped and bring one back for interrogation."

Kevin's head jerked in the direction of the voice, noticing for the first time that the Commander was in the infirmary.

"You've already met Ferena as I can see and sergeant Folley is waiting at the barracks for you."

"Sir…"

Nathan interrupted him. "You better use your healing magic to finish the job miss Sakier, sahuagins swim fast and sergeant Folley seems almost too eager to give chase."

He then turned to leave and said: "A skiff and nets have been made available for you; you will find the ship at the docks outside."

With this Commander Bayson strode out of the room, leaving Ferena and Kevin to wonder just how the man could take the situation so lightly. After all, sahuagins are supposed to be little more than beasts and living underwater would make creating gunpowder - let alone finding out how to use it - quite impossible without outside help.

Kevin, however, quickly regained his composure. He nudged Ferena, indicating his wounds. She looked at him nodded and, with a few muttered words and a wave of her hand, channeled positive energies to instantly heal his wounds with a touch.

With this done, they quickly picked up their stuff and made for the barracks to meet with Sergeant Folley.

* * *

" _Gun barrel cleaned, powder horn full…"_

Paul Folley was a man of action.

"_Bullets, checked._"

He either spent his time honing his skills or putting them to use for the High Guard.

Waiting, however, was not something he handled well.

"Er, sergeant?"

"What is it soldier?"

"Didn't you check your gear twice already?"

There was an awkward scilence trough the barracks as Sergeant Folley looked at the young soldier through half lidded eyes. Those who knew Paul either personally or by reputation knew he didn't care much for people who questioned his working habits.

"Why, yes soldier, I did. I'd do push-ups, but then I wouldn't be in the best of shape for my mission now would I?"

"Oh..." the soldier replied dumbly.

Paul returned to his equipment.

"You, on the other hand, don't have an assignment now, don't you?" he said over his shoulder.

"Er, no sir?"

"Really?" Paul paused for a second. "Well then, drop and give me fifty!"

A roar of laughter filled the barracks as the more experienced soldiers finally lost their composure and the newbie dropped to the floor with a groan and started on his push-ups.

Such was the scene that greeted Kevin and Ferena as they walked into the barracks, and as soon as the set foot inside, the laughter quickly died down. This caused the sergeant to look up from his material once again to appraise who's presence could cause such a reaction. Paul Folley, however, was not one to be easily impressed.

"And who the hell might you be?"

"Your commanding officer." Kevin replied, focusing his gaze on Paul.

"Ah…" Paul said stoically. Shrugging, he shouldered his pack and made way towards the door. When he got next to Kevin he looked at him straight in the eye.

"Well, are you coming? The sahuagin aren't going to hunt themselves you know?"

With this he made his way outside and towards the docks. As Ferena stifled a laugh from behind Kevin, the captain muttered to himself…

"I guess that's why he never made it pass sergeant…"

* * *

"I see them over there!"

Kevin quickly realized that what sergeant Folley lacked in charm he more than made up in skill. '_Probably the only reason he wasn't thrown out of the High Guard_' he thought with a smile.

"You heard the sergeant soldier! Change heading: make for that reef!"

The soldier nodded and pulled hard on the rudder to make a turn starboard. They had been patrolling the coastline of Lagos for a little over half an hour now, following Paul's indications to scout out the best hiding spots for a small group of runaway sahuagins. His knowledge of the beasts and their habits allowed them to move ahead to the area that they should have reached giving their speed and the time they had to escape since the attack.

"We have four of em'!"

Paul readied his gun, pointing its long barrel toward the shapes below the waves that the others had yet to see while Ferena grabbed a net on the floor of the skiff.

" Remember, we need _at least_ one alive!"

"Yes sir."

Paul smirked as he opened fire on the creatures; his captain had little love for the sahuagin and that suited him just fine.

"One of them is making a pass portside; you should ready the net capt'n!"

At once, Kevin was in action. Net in hand, waiting for the moment to strike to come, and when it did his aim was true. However, sahuagin are slippery little critters and it was obvious to the people on board the skiff that their captive might slip out of their grasp if they let it struggle anymore.

Tying the rope of the net to the mast, Kevin ordered the others to try and pull the beast in while Paul kept the rest of them at bay.

"What are you going to do, sir?"

"I'm going to make sure we don't lose our catch." Kevin answered before jumping in the clear waters to subdue the sahuagin.

The soldier looked baffled for a second and Ferena gasped; Paul on the other hand had a smirk on his face.

"_Well..._" he thought while gunning down the opposition. _"This guy might actually make a good boss..."_

* * *

Meanwhile on The Island, Noram had quickly gone trough the main "sights" that the asteroid had to offer. After all, only one of the three sectors on The Island was open to commoners: the docks. Unfortunately, it only offered warehouses and a seedy tavern full of soldiers on permission.

Of course, Noram was far from being a commoner and, with his silver tongue, he quickly gained access to the bioshpere.

'_Those poor guards are all the same..._' he thought. '_You just flash papers with an official seal, act indignant and you can gain entry anywhere.'_

Noram laughed quietly to himself at this.

'_If that idiot only took the time to read that letter, he would have seen that I'm only allowed in the barracks.'_

The barracks sector was the place where not only the soldiers had their quarters but also where criminals and quarantined travelers and goods were kept awaiting their transfer. The biosphere was it's complete opposite: an immense garden that assisted the magical enhancements in maintaining atmosphere and providing fresh food and a pleasant landscape for any high ranked visitors. The only structure found in the sector was the embassy; as small manor housing the leader of the High Guard and whatever important guest passing on their way to Quelya.

'_I better avoid that place; the guards there probably won't be fooled by fancy words and a bit of elven blood..._'

Noram quickly left the path to the embassy and began exploring the surrounding woods. But, pretty soon, he realized there wasn't really anything of interest there.

"Well, at least I got a pleasant nature walk before getting cooped up in that ship." he mused aloud.

He was about to turn around and return to the docks when something caught his eye: a tree near a small rock formation seemed to be leaning to the side, as if it collapsed on itself.

_'No...' _Noram thought as he got closer to it._ 'It's as if the ground collapsed below it.'_

What he found at the base of the tree was a hole big enough for a man to go in. It must have been covered up by some loose dirt and stone and the tree's roots made this cover collapse over the years. In fact, without the trees and and the grass, the hole on top of a small rock formation would look like an anthill.

_'Heh, giant anthill, maybe I'll find some giant ants...' _Noram's thought before suddenly freezing, looking down in the unnatural tunnel walls.

"Damn..." he said, remembering a tidbit of information. "Formians."


End file.
